Activist groups in the United Kingdom have announced plans to hold demonstrations in late October following the reported arrest of Narshon T. Kohlo, the Youth Chairperson for Zimbabwe’s Constitution Defenders Forum (CDF). The planned protests are timed to coincide with a proposed visit to the U.K. by Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume and Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda.
According to a report by New Zimbabwe, Kohlo’s detention is related to his involvement in organizing a prayer meeting for vendors. The specific charges against Kohlo and the date of his arrest were not detailed in the initial report. The Constitution Defenders Forum is identified as a civil society organization operating within Zimbabwe.
In response to the reported arrest, Zimbabwean diaspora activists and supporters based in the U.K. stated their intention to organize demonstrations. The groups have indicated the protests will be scheduled to align with the late-October visit of the two Zimbabwean officials.
The officials, Jacob Mafume and Jacob Mudenda, serve as the mayor of Zimbabwe’s capital city and the Speaker of the National Assembly, respectively. The purpose of their proposed visit to the United Kingdom has not been publicly specified. Further details regarding the exact dates and locations for the planned demonstrations have not yet been released by the organizers.
